Last week, Vox published an article by internet culture reporter Rebecca Jennings about how everybody needs to be a self-promoter now—and we all hate it. Then, I read a response by writer and book coach Leigh Stein, who was quoted in the Vox piece, in which she admitted to actually enjoying creating her social media content. Stein said that she was considerably more optimistic about the state of things than Jennings article was.
I found the exchange fascinating. I find it hard to disagree with either of their perspectives! And Stein wasn't really disagreeing with Jennings either—which left me with one thought: I don't think we're talking about the same things here.
So I resurrected an old piece from July 2021 that made the case I wanted to make—that self-promotion sucks and is contentless, but that self-promotion is not the only mode for creating content that gets the job done on social media—and updated it for today's social media moment. This episode has my response to both Jennings's and Stein's articles, as well as a description of how enshittification doesn't only apply to platforms but to creators, too. And then, I share the 3 Rs of Digital Content.
Footnotes:
All new episodes are available in written essay form at whatworks.fyi
***
If you’re questioning your relationship to work but finding it difficult to make lasting changes, I’d love to help.
I’m committed to helping you confront and deconstruct big assumptions that compete with your good intentions. And that’s exactly what we’re doing in my new 8-week cohort-based course, Rethink Work.
We’ll examine the beliefs, stories, and systems that keep us hustling—even when it hurts—so you can make changes that last and create a more sustainable approach to work.
★ Support this podcast ★EP 158: Building A New Business From His “Unique Genius” With Strategist Jason Van Orden
EP 157: Planning For Parental Leave With StoryMine Co-Founders Catherine Orr & Elena Rue
EP 156: Teaching Live Courses For Maximum Results with Yes and Yes’s Sarah Von Bargen
EP 155: Small Business Owners Get Honest About Fear
EP 154: Exiting One Business And Starting Another With Jadah Sellner
EP 153: More Leading, Less Managing with Wanderwell Founder Kate Strathmann
EP 152: Reinventing Your Product–Twice–with Freshbooks Co-Founder Mike McDerment
EP 151: Doing More With Less With SystemsRock Founder Natasha Vorompiova
EP 150: Juggling A Jeweler’s Business Model with Designer Christy Natsumi
EP 149: Combining Creativity and Productivity To Do Great Work With Unmistakable Creative Host & Author Srinivas Rao
EP 148: Building For Business & Life With Your Spouse with Productive Flourishing’s Charlie Gilkey & Angela Wheeler
EP 147: Scaling Mental Health Services With Move Forward Counseling Founder Alison Pidgeon
EP 146: Wellness Hacking For Time Management Success With Business Strategist Michelle Warner
EP 145: Developing, Manufacturing, & Marketing An Innovative Product With Têra Kaia Co-Founder Bridget Kilgallon
EP 144: Centering Women Of Color In The Outdoors with Color Outside Founder Nailah Blades Wylie
EP 143: Licensing Your Signature Work With Momtography® Creator Beryl Ayn Young
EP 142: Growing Organically Through Unconventional Channels with CozyCal Co-Founders Chris Tan & Kat Lu
EP 141: Making Clients Comfortable With Uncomfortable Subjects With Financial Behaviorist Jacquette Timmons
EP 140: Paying Attention To The Red Flags With Don’t Panic Management Founder Jess Ostroff
SPECIAL: Changing Your Name After 10 Years of Building A Personal Brand With What Works Host Tara McMullin
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Organic Marketing Simplified: Effective podcasting strategy for growth and monetization
THE GO BIZ GUY
The Sigma Femme Podcast
The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
Habits and Hustle